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A woman previously residing at a women’s sobriety home in California reportedly stole a minivan and engaged in a hours-long police chase ending with her traveling across the international boundary into the nation of Mexico on the start of the week.

Vehicle Theft Reported from Sober Living Home

According to a police statement, a another female, Nicolle Walters, forty-five years old, notified authorities that her gray minivan from 2004 was missing, along with her vehicle key. The owner, who operates two women’s sober living homes, identified the alleged thief as Alyssa Wilson at a recovery facility in Thousand Oaks, situated approximately an hour’s drive of Los Angeles.

“The keys were stolen from my manager’s handbag. I happened to pull up right when it was occurring,” Walters stated, adding that the minivan is designated for the sobriety home’s tasks.

High-Speed Pursuit Develops Across Multiple Counties

Authorities located the van about 12 miles north in a nearby city, where they tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Wilson refused to stop and sped away. She attained speeds of about 145km/h on the 118 freeway until the chase continued into Los Angeles county. At that juncture, local sheriff’s deputies handed over the pursuit to the CHP once Wilson entered the Interstate 405 traveling southbound.

“This one is particularly unusual in the context of the road situation enabling individuals to persist on the freeway and prolong this chase,” commented a public information officer from the local law enforcement agency.

Wilson reportedly avoided all the spike strips deployed on the road by authorities, as seen in footage from above.

Cross-Border Escape and Aftermath

The pursuit finally arrived at the international border by early afternoon, prompting the highway patrol to terminate the chase due to jurisdictional constraints.

Walters stated on Tuesday that the vehicle was located in Tijuana, Mexico and that she was working with the authorities to retrieve it.

“At the end of the day, I’m not worried about the vehicle,” Walters said. “I’m more at ease knowing she was not injured. The minivan is easily substituted.”

Owner’s Perspective

The sober living home owner, who has run Diana’s House Sober Living since last October, recognizes that the journey toward sobriety from addiction and emotional distress is often non-linear.

“This is a mental health and addiction emergency,” Walters emphasized. “We need additional assistance. It is essential to provide greater resources for those that are facing challenges.”

“Recovery isn’t always pretty,” Walters concluded.